Problem with neighbours feeding wildlife

I have an elderly neighbour who was feeding the pigeons. She was putting bread on her shed roof . I had a letter from environmental health which suggested (from complaints from another elderly neighbour) that I was feeding them! Anyhoo, I popped round to see her and suggested she got some nice bird feeders to encourage different varieties. My DH helped put them up... All is good now. Maybe just check what food she is putting out and check it is nothing that will go too soggy and rot too much if not eaten. I have dogs and have to say I wouldn’t be perturbed having her as my neighbour. Its the two legged rats I’m more concerned about!

I must live on a major hedgehog highway the most we have had in one evening was eleven no idea how many more visited as I went to bed. I say let he keep feeding the hedgehogs they will be going into hibernation soon anyway. Also many people feed birds and one bad winter I had a large rat enjoying the bird feeder, rats are everywhere.

We get rats in our garden ( we have open ground behind the garden ) but to keep them under control use a rat trap and poison. The trap is locked so children can't touch the poison and access is restricted to small animals so hedgehogs, birds etc can't enter. As greenfinch stated, rats are everywhere, you just have to keep them under control.

Could you buy her a hedgehog feeding station as a going away present? The badger wouldn't be able to get at the food then.

Live in a semi rural area. Children had devised to feed the wildlife in the strip of woodland behind houses. Within days rats had taken up residence below our shed. Dog food, bread out for animals and goodness, knows what. If it disappeared the kids thought it was good! Took us weeks to clear the rats. All wild animals carry disease most of whuch can cause harm to pets and humans. If I have picked up correctly your neighbour now has a cat, you need to mention the problem with the food to her for her cat's sake if nothing else.

Perhaps she doesn’t like your dogs barking and jumping against her fence in the evenings. We all have our own needs and can be a bit blind to how they affect other people but very aware of how others are affecting us. Not saying this is you, particularly. You seem a nice, caring person. I do say “all of us”, and am including myself.

You will have rats whether they're fed or not - they're everywhere. Far more important is helping animals such as the hedgehog - which is in sharp decline (in the 1950's there were 30 million in the UK; today there are less than 1 million!) At the moment, they will be desperately searching for food to put on weight to prepare for hibernation and need to be around 650g to safely go into hibernation and come out of it (many die and never do, because they are too light). Your neighbour is doing a fantastic thing (more of us need to do it) and probably getting a lot of pleasure out of it too, so I would say nothing. (And if anyone wants to learn how to help hedgehogs in your garden, you cold start by creating a Hedgehog Highway - see hedgehogstreet.org for advice. One hedgehog needs around 30 gardens to pass through. They need a constant source of water. Feeding is great - NOT bread and milk! Oh yes and never EVER use blue slug pellets which kill them). Good luck in your new home.

Ignore it, it's only for a few weeks. Don't jeopardise the sale of your house!!!

jusnoneed, rat poison is very dangerous! It doesn't stay where you put it, rather, dying rats are about and can be eaten by any pets or wildlife, poisoning them too!

Say nothing - it’s not really your business as you’re moving out - the new owner may not have dogs who are excited by this wildlife and the rat problem will sort itself out - I live in London where the intelligence has it that you are never more than 12 feet away from a rat and I’ve only ever seen two in all the years I have lived here so the eco system obviously sorts this out - leave your neighbour to her life and focus on your own

I have read that badgers do kill hedgehogs so would explain why she hasn't seen them lately. Glad we're moving as rats worry me. My friend's dog died from leptosporosis after an outside water bowl was contaminated by rats. Her neighbours were putting bread on the garage roof for the birds. Appreciated she is very lonely and has a cat now for company as well as the wildlife so best to leave it and say nothing. Don't want to upset her.

My garden is actually a wild garden, I have a pond in it that is for frogs and toads and an escape route in case the hedgehog happens to fall in!!I have no weed killer slug pellets or anything like that in my garden and I love it......?

Absolutely agree that we need to make holes in our fences for the hedgehogs to pass through. They cannot forage unless they can move about.

I hope no-one will put rat poison down because who else might consume it or be affected? Poison or pesticide of any kind should be discouraged unless you have rats or mice in your house. Even then you can get humane mouse traps. Please keep things as natural as possible.

Bluebelle,One of the main reason hedgehogs are in decline is because our gardens are now fenced and walled in, hedgehogs can travel up to 2 miles a night and need to be able to access Gardens I cut holes in all my fences to allow the hedgehogs into my garden if you have a reasonable garden with a bit of a wild patch ( they love to route around looking for insects and contrary to popular belief they are not over fond of slugs!)in it and the hedgehogs are able to access it they will come....

Obviously very sad and traumatic for the lady Monica but i’m afraid that is nature.......

Unfortunately nature is cruel but I still wish I could have a hedgehog or badger or fox or squirrel or any wildlife in my garden but all I get are marauding pooing cats slugs and snails my friend has a hedgehog visit for his evening meal every night but she lives away from the main road

BlueBelle Be careful what you wish for. DD had two hedgehogs in her garden which she had been feeding and helping for several years. One night recently she was woken by an unearthly screaming in her garden, she leapt out of bed and rushed to the window and saw the badger who also comes to her garden on occasion.

the next morning she found 'her' hedgehogs dead, eaten and eviscerated by the badger.

She then had to bury the remains.

I would put down some rat poison (safely where the dogs cannot get at it) so that at least you may get rid of some before you move.
As you are on good terms I would tell her that you have seen rats taking the food she is putting out, the new people probably wouldn't be happy seeing vermin encouraged and may report her to Environmental health or local Council.

Oh I would love to have a badger or hedgehog to feed
Rats will eat anything so are there whether you put food out of not
Lucky lucky lady to have these little friends in her garden don’t say anything just hope they pop over to come to visit you, you lucky lady

I also feed animals in my garden - foxes, hedgehogs and squirrels. Rats are around and other animals (foxes) will kill them. Let your neighbour enjoy doing that. You're moving anyway - hopefully you won't have an animal for miles around.

I read somewhere that you are never more than 12 feet away from a rat, if you live in a city, town or village.

I really wouldn't say anything to your neighbour about feeding the wildlife, but perhaps suggest that she buys proper hedgehog food.
My grandchildren feed hedgehogs in their garden. They buy the food from the local pet shop.

Good for you Shinamae.They are beautiful creatures and deserve to be fed and protected.

And I have a hedgehog that comes regularly to my garden I have built a feeding station for it, hedgehogs are in real danger of becoming extinct in the next few years so if anybody has them they should feel blessed and encouraged them .....

I totally agree with greenfinch

Let her feed her hedgehogs.